Principal User Research & AI Strategy Leader

Hippo; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory Pension Scheme

25 Days Holiday

Perkbox access

Critical illness cover

Life assurance

Cycle-to-work

Salary sacrifice EVs

Season ticket loans

Wellbeing sessions

Private health cover

Private dental cover

Additional pension contributions

Job summary

Hippo, a rapidly growing AI-enabled digital consultancy, seeks a Principal Consultant with a user research background to lead across programmes, shaping research strategy and standards for scalable, user-centred outcomes.

You will mentor Senior and Lead researchers, influence executive stakeholders, and help evolve Hippo’s research capability as AI reshapes the industry. Extensive AI in research and public-private projects are valued.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in research at a Principal level across a range of complex delivery environments, and with a range of clients.
• Experience working effectively within and leading multidisciplinary teams using user-centred design approaches throughout the product or service lifecycle.
• Strong track record of applying a wide range of research methodologies, and adapting research to meet the accessibility needs of participants.
• Expert consultancy and leadership skills, and confidence in exploring problem spaces with clients to determine most appropriate way forward.
• Confidence operating within complex organisations and adapting quickly to new environments and ambiguous asks.
• Experience in identifying and effectively mitigating ethics and safeguarding issues, and supporting other user researchers to do this.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor other researchers and UCD practitioners, building profession or team capability and supporting long-term growth.
• Working knowledge of the GDS Digital Standard and how to prepare for a GDS assessment, or extensive experience of delivering research and driving user centred approaches in the private sector.
• Practical experience of implementing AI tools and workflows, producing stronger outcomes for users, clients and Hippo.
• Experience providing continuous thought leadership within your profession

Responsibilities

• Be part of the leadership of our most complex and strategically important client engagements, driving a user centred approach across all projects and adding value across a programme or account
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders, including executive leadership, using data, insight and primary research to influence decision-making and shape long-term service strategy to support better outcomes for service users
• Lead teams to ensure that products and services meet the needs of all users and adhere to GDS (where appropriate), accessibility and other relevant standards.
• Be part of the leadership team of Hippo’s research profession, leading substantive internal workstreams to us to grow the profession to support a period of rapid business growth
• Work with other research leaders to evolve our practices to ensure we retain our strong reputation for high quality user centred design and delivery as the market evolves with AI
• Recruit, lead and mentor Senior and Lead user researchers, strengthening capability within Hippo’s research profession and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement
• Support business growth through pre-sales activity, shaping product propositions, contributing to bids, and helping clients understand the value of user-centred delivery
• Represent Hippo’s research and UCD capability internally and externally, contributing to thought leadership, community engagement, and the ongoing evolution of our practices

Skills

User research

UCD

Leadership

Mentoring

Stakeholder management

Ethics & safeguarding

AI in research

Tools

GDS Digital Standard

AI tools

Job description

Hippo, a rapidly growing AI-enabled digital consultancy, seeks a Principal Consultant with a user research background to lead across programmes, shaping research strategy and standards for scalable, user-centred outcomes.

You will mentor Senior and Lead researchers, influence executive stakeholders, and help evolve Hippo’s research capability as AI reshapes the industry. Extensive AI in research and public-private projects are valued.